The Cabinet

My pretty notes on the Cabinet for Edexcel Govt. and Politics Unit 2. Contains notes on how the coalition has affected the cabinet and ministers. Includes a beautiful picture of Vince Cable for your enjoyment.

The Cabinet The Role of the Cabinet The key decision making body Senior ministers, around 22. Meetings ­ frequency and length has fallen since `50s. Brown and Blair only once a week. Register and ratify issues Discuss and decide on major issues Collective Responsibility: Core principle with 3 main elements: Secrecy. Ministers must keep details of discussions in cabinet secret. Ensures sensitive information doesn't enter the public domain. Binding Decisions. When a decision is made it becomes binding on all individuals even if they have opposed it. If unable to accept, they should resign e.g. Nigel Lawson 1989. Confidence vote Entire cabinet must resign if it's defeated in a vote of no confidence. General election called. E.g. Callaghan's Labour government. Convention of this is being eroded:

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Temporary suspension of collective responsibility to prevent resignations. Harold Wilson 1975 European Economic Community referendum, ministers could vote `yes' or `no' even though the government supported the `yes' vote. Leaks of information e.g. 1990 press published details of divisions on Europe in Major's cabinet. Dissent and nonresignation of ministers who oppose important aspects of policy. `Wets' in Thatcher's first cabinet opposed her economic policy, none resigned. PM dominance undermining convention of collective responsibility by ignoring the cabinet.…read more

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Individual Ministerial Responsibility Ministers accountable for own conduct and that of department. Government draws distinction between ministerial accountability and individual responsibility. MaxwellFyfe said ministers couldn't be held to account for mistakes of civil servants. BUT are constitutionally responsible for informing Parliament of their department. 1966 Scott Report = ministers only culpable if misleading Parliament knowingly. Beverley Hughes resigned in 2004 she gave `misleading impression' to MPs on checks on migrants. Resignation ­ mistakes made in department, policy failure, political pressure, personal misconduct e.g.…read more

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Clegg holds a cabinet position with formalised powers he cannot be removed or reshuffled Cameron must consult Clegg on ministerial appointments therefore his prerogative is limited. The Lib Dems have 5 cabinet ministers and 24 ministers elsewhere. However, none of these ministers are in the big spending departments or in the three major departments. Cameron cannot remove Lib Dem ministers or whips without consulting Clegg.…read more

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Conservatives, e.g. Michael Gove and William Hague over the Libyan uprising. The bilateral dynamic of PM being the center and the ministers as the `spokes' remains in place, even if Clegg has a more central role.…read more